


Power Rangers Battle Force

by RurrlockGodOfPower



Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Family, Fights, Friendship, Gen, Gun Violence, High School, Monster of the Week, Original Character(s), Outer Space, Planet Destruction, Superpowers, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 15:38:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11151423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RurrlockGodOfPower/pseuds/RurrlockGodOfPower
Summary: Five new teenagers with attitude are called upon as a great evil emerges to take over the world. They acquire the legendary powers of the Power Rangers Battle Force, helping them to combat the evil forces of Vritra and his Dark God Army and save the world from total destruction. With teamwork, courage and friendship; these teens must pull through or else all is lost.





	1. Let Battle Commence

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the rights and characters to the Power Rangers Franchise, they are owned by Saban, Nickelodeon and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.
> 
> Note: This is AU. A brand new continuity where the other Power Rangers series haven't happened in this timeline.
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

  


**Chapter 1: Let Battle Commence**

As the bright sunlight shone over the horizon, Zoe Williams quickened the pace of her peddling on her BMX. She cursed at herself for oversleeping…again. This would be the fifth time this month already, and it was only the first month of the New Year. She was already growing a reputation with the teachers for being a regular detention attendee. In fact, she seemed to be in school more times for detention than the actual classes she was supposed to be in.

But was it her fault? Well, partly. She has to work late shifts long enough so that she can help her parents pay for dinner to be on their table. However, that didn't seem to be an excuse that settled well with the teachers at Nabas City High School. Zoe's mind seemed to shift from blaming herself to blaming the teachers for not giving her any sympathy. She was the one paying for the education, why should she be made to suffer if she and her family are having money issues and she's trying to help?

So wrapped up in her thoughts, she failed to notice the man walking in front of her as she tried to take a shortcut over the grass field in front of the school building. Fingers immediately squeezing the brakes hard, she managed to come to a halt before she could make any contact. In spite of this, the papers and books that the man was carrying fell out of his arms and were now scattered on the floor.

''Slow down, will you!'' The man strained at her, and then bent down onto his knees to pick up his papers. Zoe had never seen this man before. Looking in his sixties, his head balding with just a few white hairs on the back. Wearing a large brown trench coat with a white-buttoned shirt underneath, and also wearing black jeans. He moved his horn-rimmed glasses slightly so they wouldn't fall off his head as he tried to grab as many of his papers as he could.

''I'm so sorry, I was trying…here let me help!'' She quickly went from jittery explanations to hopping off her bike to help him retrieve any papers that were about to scatter in the wind. Zoe never seemed to go anywhere without her black jacket and red shirt, along with ripped jeans and trainers. ''Is that everything?'' She asked as she picked up what seemed to be the last of his papers.

He checked over them, shaking them back into a compressed, neat pile in his arms before addressing her. ''Yes that is. It would be a nightmare if I were to lose these on my first day here.''

''First day? You mean, you're going to be a teacher here?''

''Well, the correct assumption would be I am a teacher here…'' He stopped mid-sentence and looked at her as if realisation hit him. ''And I'm guessing you're a student here, but didn't classes start over an hour ago?''

Despite her best efforts, Zoe couldn't help but gulp at being caught. ''No…I mean yeah but you see…''

The teacher held up his hand to stop Zoe's argument. ''Now's not the time for excuses, can you please just park that death machine wherever it needs to go and head inside!''

Now it was an exasperated sigh that escaped Zoe's lips as she picked up her bike and went over to the stand to leave it. She hated that word…excuses. It made her sound like some troublemaker that is standing trial for a crime she didn't commit or at least mean to commit. Even the new teacher, who hasn't stepped past the front doors yet, is displeased with her. Then again, it's never a great first impression when almost running someone over with a bike.

From a distance, a pair of eyes watched as Zoe left her bike locked at a stand along with half a dozen others before dashing inside the building. ''If regular latecomer Zoe Williams has just walked in, that means no one else should be coming in or heading out for a good few hours now.''

The eyes of statement belong to Richard Tucker, just your average day prankster setting everything up for his next _'big thing'_. Checking once more to see if the coast was clear, he covered his face with his blue hoodie and made a quick rush over to the grass field and scanned the ground before finding the small hole from which one of the sprinkles would pop up.

He rubbed his hands together with joyful glee, excitement filling him at the thought of his next prank going off. About to reach into the hole to pull out the sprinkle, Richard felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned around, stricken with panic, but that soon disappeared when he saw whom it was. ''Chris, don't scare me like that.''

''I would ask what you're doing, but I've got a good feeling I know what you have planned.''

''You know me too well, bro,'' Richard said sarcastically.

Christopher Tucker paced around anxiously, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his bright green shirt, fearing the worst at what his jokester brother had planned. ''The next class is about to start in five minutes…''

''Yeah don't worry; I'll be done with this before then. After that…then people are going to get an unexpected late afternoon shower!'' He muttered deviously before his expression turned serious. ''By the way, how did you get out of school?''

''Hall monitor for the day! I also get to check around the outskirts of the school as you remember.''

The troublesome brother chuckled lightly. ''I thought you were hall monitor yesterday…oh wait, let me guess, you just wanted to help make sure everyone was following the _'perfect'_ rules of our school society.''

''Don't do that to me, Rich!'' Christopher said in an irritated tone. ''I'm just trying to be the responsible one since you can't seem to grasp the concept of the word.''

''Hey, I'll be responsible! When we get to college and have real jobs! But while we're young, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun. Besides, people are just going to get water splashed on them, what's the big deal? Now, will you get back inside before someone else comes out looking for you and finds me here!'' Richard said forcefully before getting back to work with pulling out the sprinkler to do his dirty work with.

He wanted to argue with him, to tell him to just stop what he was doing and come back inside. But something inside Christopher seemed to swell up and stop the words from coming out, left frozen on the spot. But he knew that he wasn't going to be getting his twin back inside without him completing his prank, so Christopher turned and walked away.

Once inside, he tried to cast the thoughts of Richard getting in trouble again out of his mind. Instantly, caught in the crowd of dozens of students, either making quick dashes for their lockers or to another classroom that they needed to be. Christopher looked around to see if anyone else was breaking, or looked like they were about to break, the rules of the school. It was obvious to see that he was a bit of a rule freak.

Rules were supposed to be so things would seem easy and in control. But Christopher had learnt that keeping things in control was always difficult even with rules established, because rules needed people to stick with them and follow through, and he never could no matter how much he wanted to. He would try to uphold them, but his nervousness and fear of causing more trouble than solving it would stop him in his tracks.

While looking around he managed to see another student about to barge into him in a rush. ''Watch out please.'' He called out to the female student before she could crash into him.

''Sorry!'' Lucy Hunt panted frantically as she made a rush past Christopher and tried to find the teacher that she needed to speak with. Her small height made it difficult, and with classes about to start again, it would become impossible to find the person she wanted.

Eventually, she spotted her person of interest. ''Miss Marquez!'' She called out timidly, hoping to get the attention of the teacher who was waiting by the door for students who might be early to her class. After getting no response, Lucy walked towards her slowly. Trying to nudge her way through the crowd until she finally was face-to-face with the teacher. ''Can…can I talk to you for a minute?''

Miss Marquez looked down at the young girl. ''This has to be quick, please, lessons are about to begin.''

''Okay…um…'' She stuttered, wanting to get her request out carefully but fearful of mispronouncing her words or getting the words wrong. Praying that her shyness wouldn't ruin this moment now, she got out her question in one quick breath. ''I want to join the school choir!''

The music teacher stared back at the student; her expression was hard to judge. It was like she was analysing Lucy, studying her to see if she would be right for the play. Unfortunately, she already had the answer Lucy dreaded. ''Well, can you come by in the after school sessions today to show us what you've got?''

Why did Lucy dread this answer? Because it meant she would be pressured into singing in front of a group of her peers, facing down their judgement and possibly being scared from ever wanting to sing again. She didn't want that to happen, she knew she would have to sing in front of people one day, but right now she didn't feel in the right frame of mind. ''I…I…'' She hesitated her response and this was enough for Miss Marquez.

''Lucy, how can I tell if you're good enough for the choir if you won't sing?'' She asked politely, but it didn't do enough to ease the girl's nerves. ''I'm sure you have a lovely singing voice if you think so, but you need to show the world that you do, and how will you do that if you can even do it in front of half a dozen people your own age.''

Not wanting to give up, Lucy tried to think of something else. ''May…maybe…I can sing just for you?''

''Will you?''

Once again, her nerves got the better of her. Lucy couldn't even muster up the courage to sing in front of one person. Why was she so deluded into thinking she could do this? It was just a little girl's dream to be a singer! That's what she believed. She wasn't that little girl anymore; she'd changed…unfortunately for the worst.

After having another question without an answer, Miss Marquez tried to think of something encouraging. ''The after school lesson will be open later if you ever change your mind.''

_**RIIINNNGGGG!** _

The loud ringing of the school bell signalled the start of the next batch of classes. There goes Lucy's chance of trying out for the choir…again. Without another word, she walked away from the music teacher down the hall to the next lesson that she had.

It didn't even matter to her that the other students were pushing and shoving. Right now, she just wished she had that little ounce of courage to just sing for everyone to hear. A tiny part of her wanted to, but that larger part of her was keeping it chained deep inside, unable to break free.

She turned the corner, about to head down the hallway that led to her class when all of a sudden two boys fell to the ground right at her feet, like they had just been knocked down by a raging bull. Lucy stared at the whimpering boys, bewildered by what was happening.

Then a booming, feminine voice barked down the hallway. ''Get back up and take what you deserve!'' Right away, Lucy knew whom it was that was calling out the knocked down boys…her friend, Alyson Benson.

A very masculine girl with short black hair; a black jacket covering her white shirt with pink stripes going across the chest, with ripped shorts and large steel-toe capped boots. Alyson was defiantly a girl who could intimidate anyone that she came across, and right now, she seemed to be doing a good job with the two big school bullies, Andy Duncan and James Karhad. She cracked her knuckles together and stomped over towards the two sobbing boys that cowered around Lucy's legs, hoping it would offer some kind of protection.

Andy, the taller and stockier of the boys, was the first to plead for help at the shy girl. ''Make her stop, please!''

Wanting to make sure that her friend didn't get in trouble rather than help out the two bullies who probably got what they deserved, Lucy looked up at the approaching tank of a girl. ''Alyson, stop please.''

For the first time, Alyson seemed to acknowledge Lucy's presence. In a flash, she went from raging beast to giddy schoolgirl as she squealed with delight and rushed over to hug her friend, Andy and James flinching with fear. ''Lucy! Oh my, it feels like I haven't talked to you in forever, how have you been?''

''Alyson, we hung out yesterday, as we do every day.''

''Oh yeah,'' She said like realisation had just hit her, but that mood didn't last as that large smile returned to her face. ''Hey you were going to try out for the school choir today weren't you?''

Immediately, Lucy went back into her timid shell, unsure of what her next words should be. Even with one of her best friends, she could assemble the courage to try and explain things how she wanted, to tell things as they were. Too embarrassed at failure in the eyes of someone who could clearly look out for herself, as proven by the two still snivelling bullies at Lucy's feet! Wanting to change the subject, Lucy asked. ''What happened here with Andy and James anyway?''

Alyson looked down at the two, a pout appearing on her face. ''These two made a rude comment about my new hairstyle!''

Lucy looked at the top of her friend's head to notice any changes with her friend's hairstyle, but there didn't appear to be anything different. ''Isn't it how it always is?''

Right away, panic rushed over the tough girl. ''What? I thought it was a little shorter? That stupid barber didn't do it right did he? I'll teach him a lesson!'' She looked ready to go on another rampage when Lucy reached out to grab her arm.

''No, no, it's fine really! I just…needed to look at it longer. It looks good!''

Hoping that it would calm her down, Lucy waited for Alyson's response. Finally, she once again shifted from homicidal mode to cheery girl in an instant. ''Yay!'' She squealed once more with delight.

The moment was interrupted as Andy and James tried to have a say in the matter. ''Yeah it looks fantastic, stupendous, marvellous!'' Andy mumbled frantically.

James followed suit. ''Absolutely, hardly recognised you.''

At first unaware of the insult that could be interpreted from that comment, Andy grabbed his partner in crime by the shoulder and the two made a run for it while Alyson was still preoccupied with Lucy.

The muscular girl wanted to give chase and get back at those two for offending her hair like that. But she knew that Lucy wouldn't allow her to pass, fearing that it could get her into more trouble with teachers about her 'violent outbursts'. She never saw it as that, she saw it as giving people what they deserve for criticising others and trying to make themselves feel good about it.

No one else saw it that way though. Because of her rough exterior, and tendency to go after anyone that so much as said she had an eyelash out of place, many just assumed her to be some thug with a personality disorder. Why? Well because whenever she wasn't bashing heads together, she was probably one the sweetest people anyone could meet.

Always kind, polite and generous; it was like being with two different people sometimes. It was the softer side of her that made Lucy friendly with her, and she would even stick with Alyson whenever she had her temper moments…although that didn't mean deep down, Lucy was just as scared as everyone else.

Like nothing had happened, Alyson was back to her merry side. ''Anyway, how's your day been?'' Lucy merely shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to talk about her freeze-up. Alyson knew that she was hiding something, but thought best not to force it out of her. She reached a protective arm around Lucy's shoulders and leant on her while also guiding her in the other direction. ''We better get to class before something else…''

At that moment, the two girls bumped into an older man who was carrying a large stack of papers and books, and now all that lay on the ground. The man, who was unfamiliar to the two girls, fiddled with his horn-rimmed glasses and breathed heavily. ''One of these days, I'm going to be run down by students.''

''Sorry about that…'' Alyson started to apology and tried to help pick up the dropped items along with Lucy, but didn't get far when she really noticed that man standing in front of them. ''I've never seen you before.''

''That's because I'm new here, I'm Mr Manahan!'' He greeted. ''And between you and the biker girl this morning, I might not last that long here.''

''Biker girl?'' Lucy said quietly as she handed back the last of the dropped papers to the teacher. ''Must be Zoe if she's only just got here.''

''Either way,'' Mr Manahan interjected. ''Shouldn't you two be off to classes now?''

Without another word, the two girls rushed off to class. Soon, Mr Manahan found himself standing in an empty corridor, finally getting some peace and quiet. This was defiantly going to be something new for the old man, but a part of him did look forward to it…if he survived the next few days that is.

* * *

Silence. Darkness. Nothing.

This was all to be expected from the darkest corners of space. Even the stars kept their songs quiet. Billions of light years from any kind of civilisation, any form of life, there are rumours that any explores that dared to journey to this part of the universe would go insane and try to destroy themselves, believing some kind of evil will consume them. Some would bat those rumours away as false tales to scare little children…however; there is some truth behind those warnings. There is, in fact, an evil that sleeps in this part of existence, an evil so great, even the Gods tremble at the mention of its name.

Despite the ghost stories, that didn't stop this group of bounty hunters from travelling to this place…although they had to work on the right price first. As the hunter's starship soared through the emptiness of space, the hunters inside couldn't help but feel the uneasiness. As they would work in the corridors, any sound made from the pressure outside made them twitch in fear. The top hunters in the main hanger room watched on, making sure there were no surprises as they journeyed on.

A large elephant-like hunter grunted with impatient as the lack of progression with this voyage. Standing ten-foot tall, with dented tusks and a large trunk that looked like it could smash open the ship from inside out in one swing. ''This is a waste of time!'' He growled. ''We have been travelling for many cycles, and haven't found this so-called Planet X you hired us to find!''

From the shadows behind, a figure stood. A large dark cloak covering his body, and his face shrouded in shadow, making it difficult to see what he looked like. He stood calmly to the side and addressed the main hunter, who was clearly losing his temper. ''We're almost there Bruteon!''

The elephant-like hunter, Bruteon, approached the figure in the shadows. ''That's what you said before we were ambushed for the tenth time, and that was three star cycles ago! This planet you've hired us to find doesn't exist! Especially in this part of the universe.''

The figure in the shadows grinned mockingly; he could hear the tone in Bruteon's voice, the shakiness as he finished his statement. ''So…you really are scared!''

Bruteon's eyes shot open in surprise before his face turned to disgust at the accusation of him being afraid. His hunter minions that tried to continue with operating the ship backed off slowly, knowing what their master was planning to do. Despite his large size, Bruteon's speed was incredible as he pulled out a large hammer from behind his back and held it threateningly at the figure in the shadows. ''I am not scared of anything!''

''Clearly.'' The figure responded without hesitation in a sarcastic fashion. Even with this bounty hunter, more than twice his size, holding a weapon against him, the figure remained casual and the tone of his voice remained calm and soothing. ''I've paid you to find and take me to Planet X, not to complain about the journey, or try to hide your fear of it. It's understandable to be afraid. Now keep your mouth shut until we get there.''

''What makes you so certain that it exists? Planet X is just a legend…''

''And don't legends originate from truth?''

''To some degree,'' Bruteon argued on. ''There may be some truth to it. Like how it was a battleground for a war thousands of star cycles ago, but that's all I'm going to believe. If it did exist, it doesn't anymore! I'm only taking you because the pay is good.''

Before anything more could be said between the two, one of the hunters at a control console called out. ''Boss Bruteon! We've found something, there's a planet out here!''

Hearing those words made the atmosphere around the main hanger more uncomfortable than it already was. Each of the bounty hunters felt cold and unable to move, as Bruteon marched over to the control console. ''That's impossible…''

''And boss,'' The smaller hunter continued. ''According to the scanners, there's life down there!''

For the first time, the giant hunter made the first indication that he was in fact scared. Gulping silently, and trying to look around the room, hoping that one of the other hunters would call to say the data was wrong and there was no planet around. His hopes were dashed though, as the ship continued on, they could see from the window at the front of the hangar, a small planet coming into view.

Much smaller than most moons, the planet looked ready to crumble into pieces and float into space, it was on the brink of decay. The hunters inside the ship were frozen with fear, no one sure if they wanted to go on or quickly turn back. As Bruteon mentioned earlier, they had gone through a lot to get this far, but even the giant leader was unsure of what to do next.

He turned to face the figure in the shadows, even in the darkness, a sly grin could be seen on his face. ''It does exist.'' The figure sighed with delight.

''Okay, we found your planet. Now what?'' Bruteon questioned, hoping that he wasn't going to get the answer all the hunters feared.

The figure finally stepped out of the shadows, although his body was covered underneath his cloak, his face could finally be seen. Like it was made from darkly coloured diamonds, his face was jagged and sharp. Tied to his belt, was a large black katana blade. ''Land!'' He said sinisterly.

''That wasn't the deal!'' Bruteon replied. ''I'm not wasting my hunters down there, you can just…''

''I'll pay you double!''

The hunter was silent for a moment before turning to his hunters around the room. ''Prepare the ship for landing, and get your weapons ready.''

The hunter's employer smiled devilishly as he watched Bruteon as his hunters assembled themselves as the ship broke through the atmosphere of Planet X. The outer shell of the ship cackled as they edge closer to the surface, and as the sound echoed throughout the corridors, it was like something was laughing at them as if something was waiting for them.

Each hunter made sure they had a blaster-gun with them, fully loaded and at max power. Bruteon kept his hammer in hand, making sure he was prepared for anything they might come across. The scanner had already detected some kind of life on this dead-looking planet; they had to be ready for anything. He looked once more to the swordsman that hired them, still as calm as ever.

''Still scared, bounty hunter?'' The swordsman mocked.

''I am not afraid of anything!'' Bruteon said back as he and the rest of the hunters on the ship headed for the hangar doors, the ship only a few seconds away from landing. ''So what is on this planet you're so desperate to get?''

''You'll see!'' Was the only response the hunter would get before the ship jolted quickly before settling, indicating they had landed.

The hangar doors opened, a huge gush of wind blowing into the ship instantly as the hunters stood anxiously until the doors had opened fully. The ground was cracked open, and the planet looked like it would split in two any second. Dark drops fell from the sky, like rain, covering everything in soot. But most startling, from above, there was just blackness. No stars, no light, nothing. It was like this planet was all that existed, and even it was on the edge.

''Do you want to go first?'' The swordsman spoke. ''Or do I have to hold your hand?'' He taunted the hunter boss.

Not wanting to be taken for a coward, Bruteon was the first to step forward and inspect the planet. Immediately, he could feel the instability, as placing one foot on the ground was enough to shake the whole area and cause a rock pile to the side to crumble and fall. The other hunters were hesitant to walk on, and one even tried to slowly step back into the ship.

 _ **SLASH!**_ He didn't get far, as the swordsman cut the hunter across the back with enough force to cause sparks to fly. The cowardly hunter couldn't even grunt in pain before the life left his eyes and he flopped to the floor without a murmur. The swordsman withdrew his weapon before addressing the other hunters. ''No one will return to the ship until the job I hired you for is complete.''

''What job?'' Bruteon yelled. ''We've done our job! We've taken you to Planet X, and we've landed…''

''I want you to destroy this planet!'' The swordsman replied before Bruteon could even finish his sentence, leaving the hunters baffled by his new demand. ''One swing of your hammer should do the job, the planet has been damaged enough, but it just needs one more push.''

''Are you out of your mind? We'll all be destroyed.''

The swordsman grinned. ''You won't. I'd be destroyed as well, but I wouldn't do that, so you know what I'm demanding won't cause any more casualties.''

''How can I trust you?''

''I'll pay you triple!''

Bruteon was once again silent, as his hunter minions feared the worst, at least until Bruteon chuckled darkly at the swordsman. ''I may sometimes be too materialistic for my own good, but I'm not stupid enough to…''

Before he could finish, the swordsman had one final offer. ''I'll pay you a hundredfold!''

That was all it took for Bruteon to grip the handle of his hammer tighter and look towards the ground, searching for the largest crack to exploit. The hunter minions knew that the price was too great for their boss to handle, and they also knew there was no stopping him from swinging a hammer so strong, it could do serious damage to a stable planet, let alone one that is already broken apart.

They all tried to scurry back to the ship, however, they would have to try and get past the swordsman at the frame of the hangar door. He drew his katana once again and struck down any hunter that tried to get around him. No matter how many tried, or how fast they moved, he would cut them all down, sending sparks flying everywhere with every impact.

Those further at the back aimed their blasters and tried to take shots at the swordsman. This would prove ineffective though, as the swordsman leapt into the air, and used his katana to cut apart the blaster weapons as he landed near them. _**BAM!**_ With one spinning kick, he sent all of them flying back, landing hard on the ground.

The brawl going on between the swordsman and the hunters was causing the planet to shake and crumble all around, but that would only be the beginning, as Bruteon found the perfect spot. Smiling at the thought of his payment rather than the risk of losing his life, he lifted his hammer high above his head, before slamming it down hard onto the ground.

_**BOOOOM!** _

The ground below them broke apart, as everything around him, the hunters and the swordsman shook violently. The fighting between the swordsman and the hunters had ceased as they watched the terror around the planet unfold. The rock piles and small mountains in the distance crumbled into dust within seconds, the black rain had stopped in mid-air, leaving everything above head still and calm while everything below turned into a quake of unimaginable proportions…then it all stopped.

After that tremendous amount of natural force the planet showed, looking like it was ready to break apart instantly, the ground stopped shaking and the cracks stopped growing. It was as if nothing had happened.

Bruteon stood up straight, looking at his surroundings, the devastation he had caused. At first, he was unsure what to make of what had just happened, then he started laughing crazily. Partly at his own stupidity that he almost destroyed himself while breaking apart a planet, and partly because he failed and he was still alive.

He walked back over to the ship, still laughing his head off, drunk with relief that he was still alive and completely oblivious to the dozens of dead hunters around him caused by the swordsman. ''I hope you're happy, and that you enjoyed your little thrill-seeking moment!'' He chuckled darkly at the swordsman, who stood still and watched out to the horizon of the planet. The other hunters kept their blasters aimed at him, in case of something else he had planned.

The swordsman's eyes gazed onwards as he spoke softly. ''Over the millennia, he has weakened this planet hoping to escape, but couldn't gather enough energy to accomplish this. But thanks to you, you've broken the bars…he is now free!'' It was like he was in a trance, like some kind of prayer.

Bruteon grew curious at this statement. ''Who is he?''

_**BOOM!** _

Over the horizon that the swordsman was watching, a hand burst out from underneath the ground. The hunters all jumped back in surprise and Bruteon was left baffled by what he was witnessing. As someone crawling out from the ground, the planet once again began to shake and crumble around. The black raindrops started to burst and disappear instantly, like thousands of candles flickering on and off.

The creature had finally emerged from beneath, standing around seven-feet tall, a lizard-like face, and with dark robes covering his body. Its eyelids were shut tight as its arms waved slowly around as if trying to feel…just simply feel. Its mouth opened slightly, taking in a deep breath; the taste of air brought joy to this creature, which had felt nothing but earth for countless years.

Although the hunters were still perplexed by the appearance of this new figure, the swordsman wasted no time by falling to his knees and bowing to the creature. ''It is so good to see you again Master Vritra!''

Bruteon turned to the swordsman. ''Master?'' Now it all started to make sense for the bounty hunter, he finally understood what this whole search was about. But most importantly to him…he now understood what that meant for his payment. ''This was all a scam! There is no payment! You just wanted us to find your master and then high tail it to another star system before we knew we were being conned! No one tricks Bruteon the Great and…''

It was at that moment, Vritra finally spoke. ''Merodark,'' The menacing tone wasn't difficult to find, even underneath the surprising smoothness of his voice. ''Who is this idiotic parasite?'' His eyes finally opened, crimson with dark slit pupils.

Merodark the swordsman replied without question. ''A bounty hunter I hired to help me free you from your prison.''

Vritra turned to the large bounty hunter, his expression difficult to read. Bruteon wondered what was going to happen, he had his hammer in hand; ready for anything this creature would throw at him. Remembering the payment he was promised, Bruteon pointed his weapon at Vritra. ''Yeah you hear that! I was hired to help you, and I filled my part, so I think I deserve my payment now!''

Vritra tucked his arms behind his hand before taking a few steps forward; feeling the dirt and rocks beneath his feet was intoxicating like he could only live on having freedom. ''Well since you freed me from my prison, I don't see why I shouldn't reward you for your services…'' As he spoke commandingly, he looked on behind Bruteon at the other hunters, counting how many there were. ''And your reward…you'll be the last to die!''

Bruteon immediately dashed behind the other hunters. ''Fire!'' He ordered, and the hunters didn't argue as they charged their blasters to full power and gave Vritra everything they had.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!** _

Each energy blast that struck Vritra's body barely left a scratch, as he hovered slightly into the air, slowly and calmly like he was floating without any fear. No matter how much power Bruteon's hunters charged into their weapons, they couldn't seem to do anything to injure their opponent. Without warning or a chance for even one last breath, Vritra charged at them.

_**BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!** _

Faster than light, Vritra punched each of them in their gut. His fist pierced through their amours without even a hint of difficulty. Bruteon could only stand back and watch in shock as his hunters all dropped to the floor, finished. All it took was a second, and Vritra hadn't even broken a sweat. He stared down at the bounty hunter, and smile viciously. Taking great pleasure in the thrill of his first battle in so long.

Bruteon thought about escaping, he wanted to. Seeing his hunters get taken out so easily was a shock to the mighty bounty hunter. However his pride got the best of him in the end, he wouldn't let this happen to him, all that mattered to him was his reputation. Putting enough force in his body to make the ground shake and crack beneath his feet, he leapt towards Vritra and swung his hammer, ready to strike with it…as Vritra stood and watched.

_**BAAM!** _

Vritra was struck on the right side of his body; the force strong enough to cause the ground to break apart beneath his feet and create a crater that seemed to stretch for miles towards the left side of his body. The giant bounty hunter only had a brief few seconds to stare in utter disbelief at Vritra…who remained on his feet, barely flinching after getting hit across the right cheek.

Using all the strength he had left, Bruteon lifted his head back; his trunk swinging back as well and quickly slammed it down onto his opponent. However, Vritra needs only to lift his arm and block the attack with minimal effort. Shockwaves erupted from all sides on impact. It was over before Bruteon could even beg for mercy.

_**BAM!** _

One quick punch to the bounty hunter's gut was all it took. Bruteon gasped silently, coughing up a chunk of green-coloured liquid, his eyes were bloodshot as he stumbled back a few steps. His arms were motionless, like he tried to move them to cover his wounded area, but had no strength left. His hammer slipped out of his pale fingers, crashing to the ground with a thud…before his whole body followed.

For a moment, it seemed like Vritra was admiring his handy work, looking around to see each body that lay dead on the crumbling battlefield. A smile slithered across his face, basking in the glorious sight of his strength. It may seem small-game to him, killing a bunch of bounty-hunters, but it had been so long since he'd had a true fight that anything would do.

''Master?'' Merodark said quietly as he stepped into view of the lizard-like alien.

''Ah, Merodark! I had almost forgotten you were here,'' His echoing voice was icy cold. ''It feels so good to be free at last. How long has it been?''

''Over Two Thousand years!'' Merodark answered hastily.

''My, such a long time! Who would have imagined that my enemies would have the power to imprison me for so long?'' He stared off into the distance, watching as his prison planet's surface cracked and trembled from the effects the battle and Bruteon's hammer strike. ''But judging by the way this planet looks, it seems that their powers are fading.''

Merodark stood at Vritra's side. ''Master, only one remains, and I know where he is.''

''You do?''

The swordsman nodded before answering. ''On a small planet called Earth.''

Vritra gave a puzzled look, that name? Earth? It sounded familiar but from where? It was not a planet that was involved in _'The War'_ , but he remembered a name that sounded vaguely similar being used within his presences. After his attempts at remembering failed, Vritra spoke. ''It doesn't matter what planet he hides on, I will find him…and he will be destroyed along with anyone that tries to defend him.''

Both he and Merodark stared upward into space, and soon their bodies began to surge with dark waves of energy. Sparking and flickering like the sparks from a huge fire, they were soon covered with dark flames of unknown power before they shot up into space like beams of light, heading for their new destination.

* * *

The day seemed to fly by for Mr Manahan as he rushed down the hallway, ready to head out of the door and go home. His first day on the job went along breezily if one wasn't to include the little run-ins with some of the students. Meeting with the other members of faculty wasn't all that eventful, and he didn't have any lessons that he would be forced to teach, just observe as the other teachers would do their job.

Although he had to admit, most of the teachers didn't seem all that eager. It is true that it can be hard to teach about of…teenagers with attitude, but this would be the next generation. Mr Manahan believed they deserved a proper education to prepare for a good future, not just for their own sakes, but also for the world in the years to come. He hoped that he would leave some kind of impact to at least one person at this school. His time in Nabas City would hopefully be a peaceful, yet still enlightening experience.

Just as he was about to approach the main door, a voice called out to him. ''Excuse me?'' He turned and was greeted with the sight of a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties rushing over to him. ''Mr Manahan?''

''Yes?''

She exhaled with a sigh of relief. ''I thought I'd never find anyone in time…''

''Is everything alright Mrs…'' He started off, waiting for her to greet him with a name.

''Oh! I'm Miss Anna Marquez, the music teacher!'' She stated quickly. ''I know you're new here, but I need help with something. I'm supposed to take an afterschool music session in a minute, and then I get dropped with having to look after some kids in detention. Can you take over the detention for me? I know this sounds like a stupid request but…''

Mr Manahan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ''It's no trouble at all. What room are the children in?''

''Oh, thank you!'' Anna gushed as she grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him back down the hallway towards the classroom where the children who had detention would be.

Once at the door, Anna turned the knob and open it to reveal the two students that were seated in the classroom…two faces that Mr Manahan already recognised. Sitting in the middle of the front row was Zoe Williams; her head slumped on the desk looking like she was about to drift into sleep. While four rows down on the other side of the room, looking out of the window to watch the birds fly by was Alyson Benson.

It shouldn't be too hard looking after just two students. Mr Manahan looked at Anna Marquez with a reassuring smile. ''It's no trouble, how long do they have to stay?''

Zoe called out grudgingly. ''Ten minutes!''

''Actually Thirty!'' Anna responded firmly to the young girl. She then looked back at her colleague. ''Thank you again; I promise I'll make it up to you one day Mr Manahan…''

''Please, call me David.''

Her smile grew a little wider hearing his name. ''Thanks, David! Got to run!'' In a frantic rush, she quickly walked past the room and towards wherever her music class would be taking place.

As soon as Mr Manahan walked into the room, Alyson noticed him and smiled brightly. ''Hi again! Enjoying your first day here?''

Taken back at first by the joyful greeting he was given under the circumstances, Mr Manahan returned an awkward grin but still kept a pleasant tone about him. ''Well, this seems like a nice place to be. And it would be really appreciated it that were to continue with a nice and easy thirty minutes of waiting. So what are you in here for?''

''I beat up two guys!'' She said back like it was nothing special.

Once again, unsure of how to response to something that was so carelessly dropped, he turned to look at Zoe, who was still with her head on her desk. ''I already know what you're in for. How many minutes late?''

''Over an hour and a half!'' She grumbled.

''Any particular reason why?''

''You wouldn't care!''

''Why wouldn't I? I'm now a teacher here; I have to make sure everything's all right with you at home or on school grounds so that you don't come in late again. If you don't want to share the reason for personal reasons that's fine, I'm just saying talking about it might be the first step to helping sort out the problem so it won't persist.''

Zoe was perplexed by how genuine he seemed about what he was saying. No teacher had ever given her a speech like that before about opening up, most of the time it was the same old _'sort whatever it is out, and don't let it happen again'_ without giving her a chance to explain. Now someone was going to let her? And in detention of all places?

The moment was interrupted though as the door to the class opened and two boys stood by the door, about to walk in…one leaving puddles with every step he took.

Christopher, who was dragging along a soaking wet Richard, looked at Mr Manahan with a confused expression. ''Uh…is this where detention is?'' The teacher nodded at Christopher, however, everyone's attention was turned to the brother who was drenched from head to toe. Christopher noticed this and gave an explanation. ''He tried to sabotage the school sprinkles to make them go off.''

''Sabotage is such a strong word,'' Richard said. ''I was altering.''

The sensible twin rolled his eyes in annoyance and continued talking. ''So, I'm bringing him here cause he's meant to serve an hour detention.''

''An hour?'' Richard yelled. ''I thought maximum detention time was half that?''

''I think you've pushed the rules a little too far this time…''

''Rules! Rules! Rules! You never shut up about rules!''

Before the argument could get too heated, Mr Manahan was about to step in, until Zoe had got there first. Placing both hands on the two boys, and forcing them away from each other. She looked at Richard dead in the eyes, a tense look on her face. ''Listen, bud! I have to get home and then head out to my job! To do that, I have to get through this detention first, and it would go a lot smoother if you just sit down and accept that your pranks failed again. So just sit down!''

Her words were as hard and cold as steel, leaving the room silent and still. Mr Manahan didn't know what he was supposed to do right now, he knew he should intervene, but something about the girl's confidence and stance made it seem like she had everything under control. To confirm that, Richard walked away and pulled up a seat, without a single word back at her.

''Should I put on some music to ease the tension?'' Alyson said out-loud.

Zoe directed her attention to Christopher, who looked a little uneasy about being within her line of fire right now. Despite her tense expression before, she now seemed to be somewhat relaxed. ''Just go, he's going to be fine.'' With that said, she turned and returned to her seat.

Just then, a faint knock was heard at the door. Everyone watched as the door creaked open slowly, and a shy head poked in to look around. Despite only half the head coming through, and the blonde hair being the only dead-giveaway, Alyson leapt out of her seat with excitement and squealed. ''Hey, Lucy!''

Surprised to see her friend in the classroom, Lucy bashfully waved at her while walking into the class fully. She looked over Christopher's shoulder to see Mr Manahan. ''Um…is this music class?''

Richard chuckled sarcastically. ''Well, there's been enough shouting from this room to probably count it as a music room.''

''Enough.'' Mr Manahan told him sternly. He looked at the shy newcomer with a warm grin. ''I actually happen to know that Miss…'' He didn't get far in his sentence though when pain struck him. It was like something was piercing into his skull and wouldn't stop. The agony coming from his whole body was so intense that he dropped to the ground, screaming aloud. He was unable to control himself as his arms waved around erratically, and his legs had no strength for him to stand on anymore.

The students all stepped back in shock, caught completely by surprise at this random outburst. Many ideas of what was going on to him formed in their different perspectives, the most common one was that he was having a seizure. But this seemed much more violent like something was ripping his body apart from the inside.

Reacting on instinct rather than thought, Zoe leapt out of her seat and tried to nudge the teacher onto the side of his body, while trying to avoid his swinging arms and legs. The other four students had all gathered around, not sure what they could do, and from the shock of the sudden explosion the teacher was having. Finally, Christopher managed to pull out his mobile phone in an attempt to call an ambulance, however, he found that the device was dead.

Each of them tried to reach for their phones and call for help; it was all the same result. At that moment, something started to become clear in David Manahan's head, the source of his pain was appearing before his very eyes as a vision appeared before him. A vision, he has dreaded for thousands of years.

''He's back…'' He mumbled weakly.

* * *

Just as he feared, Vritra was coming…actually he was nearly here. As he and Merodark stood on the Moon, watching the Earth from where they were. Both monsters looked at the planet with a great feeling of pleasure, particularly Vritra, he could now finally defeat his enemy once and for all. He held out his arm, and from the palm of his hand, black flames engulfed it as he smiled darkly. ''Goodbye.''

A powerful blast of fire shot from his hand towards the Earth, ready to destroy it in one quick strike. Not only would he kill his enemy, but also eradicate a planet at the same time…it had been so long since he'd enjoyed any kind of destruction or anarchy.

The moment of victory though was short lived, as the blast of fire was stopped when he hit against something invisible. As the flames died down from where they stuck, Vritra could see what they had hit; covering the Earth was a large, invisible force field. The force of the blast was shown, as what was left of the flames circled the outside of the shield almost around the face of the Earth.

Wanting to make sure, Vritra hovered closer to the force field and pressed his palm against it. His hand didn't reach any further. He tried to put all his strength into one push, but it was ineffective. Whatever kind of barrier was around the Earth, it prevented him from getting him. ''Very clever.'' He muttered with a mixture of frustration and admiration. Then a thought came to mind. ''Merodark, go through it.''

''Yes Master!'' He said without hesitation, ready to draw his sword and cut his way through.

''That won't be necessary,'' Vritra said.

Uncertain about how it could work without his weapon, Merodark listened anyway, keeping his weapon down. He floats easily towards the force field…and nothing happened. He slipped through without a single hitch. ''Master?''

''Of course! He needs to put all his energy into just keeping me out. He remembers how powerful I am! It doesn't matter, once he's dead, the shield will be broken.''

''Then I'll go and finish him!'' Merodark stated proudly.

Before he could go, Vritra lifted both his arms, holding out one in front of him. With a quick flick of his wrist onto the other, a small cut appeared and purple blood started to leak out. From the blood drops that floated away from the cut though, it began to grow and form into something else, something that had a humanoid shape. Eventually, five blood drops grew and shifted into five, large lizard-lie creatures; resembling Vritra, but appearing more savage.

Once their transformation had been completed, they all pulled on the bones that stuck out from their bodies and raised them above like weapons. Their roars shrieking across the atmosphere, head all over the world.

Merodark looked on in shock. ''The Mallory's? I haven't seen these soldiers since…''

''The War!'' Vritra finished the statement himself. ''For too long the war has been swept away, becoming nothing more than a whispered legend among the stars. For too long I have been powerless and left to rot and decay in that prison. Although my full power hasn't been restored yet, I can imagine that Aurik is weakened from trying to keep me at bay all these years. You and my Mallory foot soldiers should have no trouble finishing the job. If anyone stands in your way, destroy them all! Let their screams cover every planet across the galaxies! Let the blood flow like a river of death! Then, everyone will know…every man, woman and child…every warrior…every civilian…every king…every race across the known universe, they will all know…The War has returned!''

**To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.


	2. Let Battle Commence Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the rights and characters to the Power Rangers Franchise, they are owned by Saban, Nickelodeon and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

**Chapter 2: Let Battle Commence Part II**

David Manahan continued to cry out in agony, his head felt like it would split in two as his eyes sizzled, smoke emitting from his pupils. The teens looked on dumbfounded, unsure of what to do, or what they even could do. Each of them exchanged glances, hoping that someone had an answer. Zoe kneeled close to the teacher, but afraid of touching him, worried that whatever was happening might be contagious.

At last, Christopher made the first move, rushing towards the door. ''I'll get one of the teachers to help!''

Just as he was about to leave the classroom, the entire school seemed to shake violently, knocking everyone off their feet. A low rumbling sound grew louder with every passing second. The windows vibrated, threatening to crack and break any second.

They all tried to grab hold of something, not wanting to lose their balance. Alyson and Lucy held each other and gripped the leg of the desk. Richard thought that he could stay on his feet and stand up. This proved a futile attempt as he was swept off his feet and landed on the floor with a loud thud. His brother wasn't fairing any better, sliding across the ground. Zoe remained motionless, keeping her hands and legs to the ground and praying that this would end quickly.

Soon enough, the shaking slowed to a crawl until it eventually stopped. Things were so quiet, not only could the teens hear each other pant, but also the sounds of their heartbeats drumming.

''Was that an earthquake?'' Zoe questioned.

Suddenly, a deafening bang of thunder echoed around them. Richard was the first to glance out the window. His jaw dropped as he pointed out towards the sky. ''Can an earthquake do that?''

They looked up at the sky. Any hope that the danger had passed dwindled when they saw the clouds darkening above. Flashes blasted through them, hinting at a possible lightning storm upon them.

Unable to watch any longer, Zoe scanned the classroom, searching for something. The moment she spotted it, she rushed forward. Her movement caused the others to turn and see what she was up to. The closest to her was Christopher, who followed her movement, seeing her heading directly for the fire alarm switch. He hurried after her. ''Hold on, what are you doing?''

''Sounding the alarm for anyone still in the school!''

''Wait, no,'' He held out his arm to stop her. ''We don't have authority to activate that without a teacher's permission.''

''Are you serious right now?'' Zoe grilled him.

''I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble. You can't pull that unless it's a serious emergency…''

Before he could finish his sentence, a brilliant light emitting from the sky blinded them all. The room became warm and the window started to crack even more. They shielded their eyes and glimpsed through the gaps of their fingers, hoping to see anything. As the light dimmed, they noticed something floating down towards the ground. Five silhouettes that descended at increasing speed until they dropped to the ground like comets. The ground exploded underneath the shadows, dust and debris hurtled towards the classroom window.

When the cloud died down, the teens could finally see clearly what had dropped from the sky. Hardly believing their eyes, they were left with frozen hearts when they saw lizard-like humanoids, armed with curved swords staring at them. One of them let out a bellowing roar, with the others following suit. The sound of the roar was loud enough to cause the window to finally shatter, glass shards flying all around.

The five teens covered their eyes from the glass and turned back to the monsters in disbelief. No one knew what to say as the creatures slowly advanced. Out of nowhere, Richard turned around to his brother and yelled at the top of his voice. ''Ha, I told you aliens were real!''

Christopher felt a hand grip his shoulder firmly, forcing him to look back at Zoe. ''Is this a serious emergency?''

''Yes, flip the switch!''

Not wasting any time, Zoe did just that and sounded the alarm. It blared throughout the entire school.

Zoe turned to the others. ''Right, let's get out of here!''

They turned to leave, sprinting for the door. Lucy was the last to make a run for it. As she got closer, her eyes drifted to the side and that's when she noticed Manahan gradually standing back up. After the surprise of seeing literal aliens invading, they had almost forgotten about their teacher. She stopped in her tracks, not sure what to do.

Noticing her friend had stopped, Alyson looked back to her and then at Manahan. ''I think he still needs help!''

The others were beside the door when they heard her call out. Looking back, they saw the elder slowly stand up, still seemingly dazed but at least better than he was a moment ago. He looked back at his students, stricken with fear. ''You all need to run, now!''

''What about you?'' Christopher replied.

''I'll follow behind. You need to hurry, before…''

Richard pointed to the creatures. ''Guys…''

Manahan glared outside, troubled when he saw the lead monster lifting its arm in the air. Within the palm of its clawed hand, a fireball appeared. It grew to the size of a basketball, raging with pulsing flames. Manahan noticed its slit-eyes locked onto the closest person in its path…Lucy.

Also noticing this was Zoe, ''Run! Now!'' She dashed towards the girl, but she wouldn't make it in time.

The creature threw the fireball towards them. Lucy was left powerless to do anything, even if she suddenly found the strength in her legs to move, there would be no way to find cover from that kind of power. She felt Alyson wrap her arms around her and cover her timid friend. Time seemed to stop as the fireball surged through the opening of the broken window, inches from hitting the girls.

If any of them had blinked, they would have missed Manahan jumping in the way of the blast and stopping it with his own two hands. Zoe halted and stared in disbelief at what was happening. Unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, it looked like their teacher was actually holding the fireball back. Lucy and Alyson felt their skin burn standing so close to the attack.

Knowing that he needed to do something, Manahan bent backwards, raising his hands upwards along with the fireball until he was holding it right above his head. Using all his strength, he thrust the fireball into the sky, causing it to break through the ceiling and disappear into the sky. The clouds split open, the bright blue sky contrasting with the heavy black puffs.

Manahan panted heavily as he returned his gaze towards the creatures. His arms were trembling as he reached into his jacket pocket for something. Meanwhile, the teens were speechless, all except for Alyson. Still holding her friend, it didn't click in her mind what had just happened as she beamed. ''That was awesome! Thanks for saving us!''

Finally retrieving what he needed, Manahan returned his gaze towards the monsters, who howled in defiance. Without turning around, he spoke sternly. ''You need to get as far away from here as possible.''

''What about you?'' Alyson inquired. She glanced at the monsters. ''Are you going to fight them?''

''No…I'm going to destroy them!''

With that said, he pressed down on his foot, causing cracks to appear in the ground. He then shot out of the class like a bullet, stopping right in front of the first monster. He swerved his body around. As he did so, the teenagers saw that he had taken out a simple ballpoint pen from his pocket. But, when he unsheathed it, it instantly grew in his hands becoming as long as he was tall, and now resembled a silver staff.

 _ **BAAM!**_ The first creature took a heavy blow to the face. Saliva sprayed from its snout as he careered into a tree nearby, breaking through the bark. The others raised their blades and slammed them down onto the teacher. However, he easily blocked their attacks with his weapon. They tried to push downwards, crushing him with their combined strength. Manahan couldn't hold on for much longer, so he leant back and kicked out, hitting all of their scaly legs and sweeping them off their feet.

He pushed himself back up quickly, swung his staff and clobbered one of them in the side. _**BAAM!**_ Another was sent flying, skidding along the ground before crashing into a car.

The others were back up and attacking instantly. They slashed and clawed at Manahan, who continued to block and dodge to the best of his abilities. He couldn't keep it up forever, as one of them caught him, slicing him over the leg. Luckily, it had just grazed his skin, causing only minimal damage. He blocked one of their attacks using his staff, and trapped another by the arm, crushing it with his elbow and knee.

With the third one charging towards him, Manahan jumped up using one leg and kicked out with the same leg. _**BAM!**_ His foot caught the creature under the mouth, flipping him over. He twisted his body, pushing another away before slamming his other knee against the back of the one that was trapped. _**BAM!**_ He pounded it into the ground, creating a large pit and leaving it buried in the ground, unmoving.

It was now down to one more. Regaining its balance, the last creature raced at him, swinging its sword and trying to cut him down. Manahan responded, not only by blocking its attack but also by pivoting his staff so hard it broke through the creature's sword and jabbed it in the gut, causing sparks to explode from the impact.

A final grunt rolled past the monster's jaw before it collapsed to the ground, out for the count. Manahan stood on guard for a few more seconds, waiting to see if anything else would happen. He couldn't stop gasping. Every muscle in his body ached and his head spun to dizzying proportions. Remembering his students, he looked over to the classroom, hoping that they would be gone. Instead, he saw them gawking back at him with their eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Richard raised his hand. ''What do you teach exactly?''

Manahan hobbled over to them, using his staff to aid his throbbing legs. ''I told you all to leave!''

Zoe stepped forward. ''You can't just shake this off. What you did now was impossible!''

''You need to forget what you just saw.''

''I don't think we can do that even if we wanted to!''

Letting out a loud groan, Manahan knew that he had gotten himself into a predicament. Zoe was right; this wasn't something he could just tell them to pretend never happened. He would have to explain what they just witnessed.

He didn't get much time to consider his options when he heard Alyson yell. ''Behind you!''

Manahan looked back, seeing the still unconscious bodies of the monsters wobble and float in the air. They seemed to be out of control and continued shaking for a few seconds before they were suddenly pressed together, meshing into some kind of hybrid. Five bodies morphed into one. Multiple arms and legs sprouted out all over the place, and it grew to twice the size of just a single monster. It was one large head with five faces jutted outwards, looking in all directions.

Their roars mixed together, piercing Manahan's ears. He could barely see the hybrid as it sprung forward, moving at blistering speeds, faster than he could react.

 _ **BAAM!**_ Despite his best attempt to block with his staff, a fist clobbered him in the ribs, knocking him off his feet. _**BAAM!**_ Another fist pummelled him into the ground, leaving a new crater for him to be buried in. The wind had been knocked out of him. He couldn't find the strength to stand back up, as the creature grabbed his head, easily fitting within its palm. The creature threw its arm back before tossing Manahan effortlessly.

At the speed he was thrown, there was no hope of the students catching him. They hadn't even realised he'd been thrown in their direction until he hit the wall next to the door. He fell to the ground, debris and bits of the wall crashing down with him. The staff rolled out of his hand, rendered useless now against this powered-up behemoth.

They looked at the hybrid, seeing it slowly approach them. It might have been a trick of the light, but it looked as if a sinister smirk grew along its jaw. Just as things seemed hopeless, the roof of the classroom began to cave in, blocking the area of the shattered window. The view of the monster was obstructed, hiding them all.

Zoe, breaking out of her trance, rushed over to the injured Manahan. ''Now's our chance!''

The others followed her example, getting back up and running to help. Alyson and Richard hurried to help Zoe with carrying their teacher, whilst Christopher and Lucy held the door open. Despite moving as quickly as they could, it was a slow process to get out of class and move along the corridor. The alarm continued to sound. Anyone that had remained after school, whether it be a teacher or other students serving detention, were already gone.

''Everyone must have evacuated,'' Zoe stated.

''Then they're smarter than us.'' Richard chortled.

Christopher glared at his brother. ''Is this really the time to be making quips?''

''Making quips is the only thing that is keeping my mind sane right now. I mean…what is going on?''

''Alien invasion.'' Alyson declared with a shrug of her shoulders.

''I know that it's an alien invasion, but why?''

Manahan coughed, clearing his throat and catching the attention of the five. He scanned them with weary eyes. ''They're after me.''

''Why?'' Zoe inquired.

She couldn't get an answer immediately, as a thunderous could be heard from the classroom. The hybrid was gaining ground, and it had just dawned on them. No matter how far they ran, if David Manahan was the one it was after, it would chase them to the ends of the Earth. They exchange looks as if wondering what they could do. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place if both had razor sharp teeth and the power to make fireballs.

A sigh came from their teacher. ''The janitor's closet at the end of the hall…take me there.''

''What? Why?''

''Just do as I say. I can explain everything there!''

Another boom behind them stopped them from arguing any further. With no choice, they hurried to the closet. Christopher made it first, however, instead of breaking the door down as expected, he timidly knocked twice. Noticing this, his brother cried out. ''What are you doing?''

''It would be rude if there's someone…''

''Open the door!'' Richard and Zoe barked.

Christopher jumped at the outburst and then quickly opened it. Lucy kept the door open as the others helped Manahan inside. Once they were all accounted for, they shut the door, just as the hybrid exploded from the classroom and into the hallway, searching for them.

The teens scanned the inside of the storage room, finding nothing that would stand out, other than an unused can of rainbow-coloured paint. Lucy found that the door couldn't even be locked.

''Okay,'' Richard freaked out. ''Unless you have the Batcave hiding behind the walls, I don't know how we're going to be safe in here.''

Ignoring him, Manahan gestured for Zoe to help him over to the shelf. Once she did so, he reached up and grabbed the handle of the brush in the rainbow paint can. Before he pulled it back, he stared at the teens. ''Don't panic.''

The moment the brush was pulled, the floor beneath them shook slightly. A second of nothingness passed. Suddenly, the floor plunged downwards. It wasn't quick enough to lift them off their feet, but it was quick enough to unbalance them, all except for Manahan. A look of regret flashed across his face.

The floor continued to descend. Rows of lights passed by and the sound of the destruction the hybrid left in its wake drifted into the distance.

Eventually, they came to a stop in a pitch-black void. Everyone was frozen on the stop, afraid to make a move in fear of something jumping out, or them falling into an endless abyss.

'' _Password!''_ The droning voice of a computer suddenly broadcasted.

''Iatnes!'' Manahan called out.

Lights blazed on, causing the teens to cover their eyes for the second time today. As soon as they adjusted to the brightness, they were awestruck by what they were witnessing.

Two tubes rested on either side of the room, a flow of liquid changing into different colours waving inside. A large computer screen rested at the very end of the room, as circuits and wires covered everywhere else, over the thick rock hidden underneath. Lining up alongside it was a 3-D hologram of the planet, shimmering in gold.

Zoe felt Manahan walk out of her grasp, using his staff as an aid to limp over to the main computer.

While the teacher marched onwards alone, the five slowly stepped out from the lift and explored their surroundings. There was so much happening, no one knew where to start looking.

Alyson nudged Richard on the shoulder, an enthralled grin on her face. ''Hey, you were right about aliens and the Batcave.''

''Yeah, never thought I would hate and love being right on the same day.''

Of the group, Zoe was the first to register what Manahan was doing. He typed away furiously at the main computer. The words on the screen were unrecognisable to any of them, seemingly not a language familiar to Earth, and this just made them feel more agitated. The teacher finished typing and turned around to address his students, tightening his grip on his staff. ''You five will remain here until I get back.''

''What?'' Zoe gasped. ''You're just going to leave us here?''

''Don't worry, I've put in safety measures so that if you get nosy and touch anything you won't accidentally set this base to self-destruct.''

Richard gulped. ''Why does your base have a self-destruct button?''

''I don't have time to explain things, I need to get back up there and destroy that beast,'' Manahan said coldly. However, as he took a step forward, a sharp pain surged up his body, causing him to flinch and clutch his side.

''Hold it right there!'' Zoe snapped, frustration clearly growing. ''First of all, you are in no shape to fight…whatever that thing is up there. Secondly, you do not get to just dump us down here without telling us what is happening! Who are you? What is all this?''

''What is that alien in the school?'' Christopher asked.

''Are you an alien?'' Richard probed.

''How long have you had this base down here?'' Alyson questioned.

''What does it want with you?'' Lucy inquired.

Manahan took his time staring at each of them. They were determined to get answers, and he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this one. He sighed in defeat, rubbing his temple and leaning back against the control console of the master computer. ''I wish it didn't come to this. I thought it was over, after thousands of years of peace...''

Hearing the number, the group were taken aback. So many questions burned in their mind, but they allowed him to continue, as he stood up and paced up and down.

''My true name is Aurik. As you may have guessed, I am not from this world. I come from a world beyond a sea of star systems. I've journeyed across many worlds in the years I have lived.''

''And how old are you, exactly?'' Zoe asked.

''If you were to go by Earth years…over five thousands years old.''

It was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Everyone was gobsmacked and rendered wordless until Alyson hummed. ''I hope I look as good as you when I'm that old.''

The other four turned their heads to look at her bemusedly. Manahan resumed his tale. ''To give you the important details, a long time ago, there was a terrible war that engulfed many galaxies. I, along with a select few fought back against the might of the tyrannical rule, Vritra.''

''Is Vritra the monster upstairs?''

''No, that…or they, were his followers, the Mallory. Creatures spawned from his own flesh and blood. Mindless and obedient to his every whim, but nonetheless deadly. I fought against many of them during the War, but evidently, peace and age have withered me. Vritra's power, on the other hand, is on an unimaginable level. He could crush armies single-handily. No one could match him. If it's a one-on-one fight, he will always win.''

''Then how did you beat him?''

''We didn't,'' He grimaced. ''The surviving allies and I used a great portion of our power to trap him in a dormant planet, far beyond the edge of the galaxy. We couldn't destroy him. So we believed that we could imprison him, and leave him to be forgotten in the memory of time. But I should have known it would only be a matter of time before he escaped and wreak horrible vengeance across the universe.''

It was so much to take in, the teenagers had a difficult time processing this all, and Manahan could see it in their expressions. They needed the faint sound of an explosion from the surface high above to jolt them back to reality.

Another grunt came from Manahan as he tried to walk past them to the lift. ''That is why that creature is after me. Vritra is trying to reach me. I have to go up there and fight…'' He hissed in pain, almost collapsing until Zoe and Christopher caught him.

She stared intensely at him as she helped him to sit down. ''Did you miss the part where you are too hurt to even walk?''

''Yeah, no offence,'' Richard prodded. ''But when those things merged into one, you didn't last ten seconds. Second time is not going to be the charm.''

Manahan shook his head in frustration, leaning against the wall. ''What choice do I have? Has it not occurred to you what will happen if I don't go up there? The Mallory will tear its way through every home and building until it finds me. The people above are in grave danger, including your loved ones caught in the crossfire. No one is safe, it will scour the Earth for me.''

A sharp gasp came from Alyson. Her hands clasped over her mouth to suppress it. ''You mean that thing might go after my mum and dad?''

Manahan nodded solemnly.

Without any hesitation, Alyson stormed towards the lift. Lucy recognises the gritted, frightening look on her friend's face and raced to beat her to the elevator. ''Alyson, no! You can't!''

''I'm not letting that monster hurt my family.''

''I don't want it to either, but I don't want you to get hurt as well. This isn't just some bully that you can fight. It will kill you.'' Lucy pleaded.

The timid young woman knew it was hopeless. When Alyson was on the verge of a rampage, and even she couldn't get her to calm down, nothing was going to stop her. She considered going along, just to make sure that she would be alright, even if she already knew the dreaded outcome.

Before Alyson could barge through, Richard clapped his hands together. ''Hey, I have some stuff in my locker. Smoke bombs, paintballs, and all kinds of things I've been planning for pranks. We can use some of those to distract Mister Ugly.''

''Is that a good idea?'' Christopher pondered.

''It's our only idea. You can just go up and tell it not to run in the hallways.''

''Do you realise how dangerous this is? We're going to fight an extra-terrestrial being that can summon fireballs!''

Things threatened to spill over into a full-blown argument, and Manahan was ready to step in. To his surprise, Zoe raised her voice. ''We don't have to fight it.'' Everyone turned to her, staggered by her sudden confidence. ''We can be a distraction. Divert it away from the school until the police or the military shows up. If we play smart and play fast, we can lead it away and let it be dealt with the people who can destroy it.''

Christopher scratched his chin. ''That actually sounds like a decent plan.''

''Yay, teamwork!'' Alyson cheered, hugging Lucy by the shoulder.

They flinched at the sound of something banging. Turning to the source of the noise, they saw Manahan stamping his staff into the ground, eyeing them all with wide eyes and mouth agape. ''You? You would all risk your lives and face something you can't possibly hope to beat.''

Zoe smirked. ''Like I said, we don't have to beat it. Just lure it away from the people it can hurt.''

''Yeah, mess with our home, and you get a punch in the face!'' Alyson pressed her fist into the palm of her hand.

''Hang on…'' Christopher shrieked before turning to Richard. ''You have smoke bombs in your locker?''

''For crying out loud, you're going to argue about this now?''

As the brothers argued, Manahan retreated into his own thoughts. Seeing how determined they were to help and fight back against the Mallory, an idea came to him. He brushed it away aggressively, treating it as a last option. However, it really was his only option. His heart cried out, begging for a divine intervention to prevent him from taking his next course of action. ''There is a way to fight them.''

He whispered so quietly, the students could only hear him murmur. They faced him interestedly. ''What?''

''I have something you can use so that you won't have to rely on tricks and running away. With these devices, you will not only have the power to fight back, you will have the power to win.''

''Sounds like a done deal, let's do this.'' Richard grinned.

No one objected to the idea. If there was something that could give them an advantage, they were willing to take it. Manahan had hoped otherwise, but…maybe this might work out.

He stood up and limped back over to the main computer. His fingers were a blur as they typed away. Questions teased the teens as they were beckoned forward until they were standing right behind Manahan. It didn't take him long to finish the configuration. Beneath the console, an extendable fold emerged from the console, catching the teens off guard.

On the fold, their eyes were drawn to five small electronic devices. Thinly layered and transparent, with a strap wrapped around it, they seemed to resemble futuristic-looking wristwatches. They were each a different colour.

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink.

Manahan addressed the confused group. ''These are Morphers. You wear them on your wrists. Once you activate them, you will be bestowed with incredible power, one hundred times the power of even the strongest human. To active them, you merely utter the words, _'Battle Force, Battle Ready.'_ And you shall become the Power Rangers!''

''Power Rangers?'' Zoe queried.

The time for questions would have to wait, as another distant boom could be heard above. The teens glanced at each other and the Manahan, who looked at them promisingly. ''Hurry, time is not on our side. I promise that once this fight is over, I will explain everything. But right now, as reluctant as I am to admit it, you are this world's only hope against Vritra. Good luck, and may the power protect you!''

Christopher raised his hand. ''How do we put them on?''

Without warning, the green Morpher sprung to life, darting towards his hand and wrapping itself around his wrist. He screamed and ran away, grappling with the Morpher, but at this point, it had already made itself at home and wouldn't come off.

''Like that,'' Manahan said.

Zoe held out her hand first. The red Morpher latched itself on easily. Alyson and Lucy repeated her motion, taking the pink and yellow ones respectively. Finally, Richard had the honour of taking the blue Morpher. He felt a surge rush through his body. It was like his nerves were on fire but in the best possible way. A wide grin plastered on his face until he realised something. ''Huh, it's pretty lucky that you happened to have exactly five Morphers lying around. If you were one short, that would have been very awkward for the odd one out.''

To get everyone's attention, Zoe banged her hand against the side of the lift. ''Come on everyone, let's go save the world!''

Richard and Alyson rushed inside with her, whilst Christopher and Lucy were slightly more tentative. Never the less, once they were all inside, Zoe gave an affirmative nod to Manahan, who responded in similar jest. He pressed a button, and the lift was sent skyrocketing back to ground level. A small look of pride held on his face until the lift disappeared from sight. There was a glazed look in his eyes as he stared down at the ground. ''What have I done?''

* * *

Up above, the lift had reached the janitor's closet in seconds. The smell of smoke and fire filled their senses instantly. Zoe barged through the door, coming upon a hole in the wall that led out towards the main entrance. The Mallory continued its rampage, smashing through parked cards that lay in its path, effortlessly tossing them in the air as if they weighed nothing. The teens let out a unanimous gulp, fearing they were in way over their heads. The matter was only made worse as one of the faces of the Mallory hybrid spotted them and twisted its body to face them directly, snarling venomously.

''What do we do?'' Lucy asked nervously.

Zoe raised her arm, looking down at the Morpher strapped to her wrist. A shaky breath escaped her. ''We use these, say the words and become Power Rangers, just like Aurik said.''

''Wait,'' Richard cut in. ''Do we say it separately or together? Does that make a difference?''

''I don't think…I don't know!''

The Mallory bellowed furiously and sprinted towards them, moving faster than they could comprehend. If they were going to do something, it had to be now.

''Together, now!'' Zoe called out.

Instinctively, and perfectly in sync, they brought their Morphers close to their mouth and yelled. ''Battle Force, Battle Ready!''

Just when the Mallory bared its teeth down on the team, it was swept away by a pulsing light. The force knocked the monster back. It slewed along the ground before using its claws to stop its trajectory. With a menacing, hungry glare, it looked at the ray of white light shooting up into the sky. Sparks crackled from the light, until it split into five white lights, each shifting into their respective colour.

From out of the light, the five teenagers stepped forward. The Mallory was surprised to see them. Not only had their aura drastically changed, so had their appearances. They were now wearing heavy-duty armour. White streaks went down their arms and legs, meeting in the middle of their chest to create a swirl. Black visors allowed them to see out from their armoured helmets. The only difference with their suits was the colour, each matching their respective Morpher.

It wasn't the outward change that they noticed at first. They could feel their bodies change from the inside. Their muscles were on fire and surely increased a size or two. The beating of their hearts increased so much, it was more like a continuous hum. Despite the armour they were wearing, they felt as light as a feather. To say they felt powerful would be an understatement.

''Holy cow!'' Richard was the first to comment. ''This is amazing!''

''I feel like my body just spontaneously combusted!'' Christopher said.

Alyson pumped her fist. ''Yeah, but in the best possible way.''

Lucy looked at her hands, inspecting every nut and bolt in the armour, astonished by the detail. ''This is overwhelming.''

Zoe didn't know what to say. She gazed, astounded and finding it hard to breathe. A goofy grin grew over her face. Her body was shaky, not only from nerves but also excitement. However, there was something else they needed to tend to, as she locked eyes with the Mallory. ''Let's see what we can do.''

Undeterred, the Mallory scrapped its foot on the ground and charged like a bull. Zoe dashed forward, running faster than she realised. She had closed the gap before she could think, but her brain was working on overdrive. She had the time to jump and kick out. _**BAM!**_ She landed a clean strike on the Mallory's stomach.

It cried out in pain. Zoe smiled, caught up in the moment. She was so overawed by her display of power that she failed to move out of the way as the monster grabbed her by the leg using one of its arms. With two more, it slammed them down on top of her. She held up her hands to block the attack.

Before its claws could connect, Richard and Christopher had appeared next to her, stopping the strikes themselves. With their superior strength, they wrestled the Mallory back. Unfortunately, it still had one hand gripped tightly on Zoe's leg. She wouldn't take that. She spun her body around and kicked its face with her other leg.

_**BAM!** _

At the back, Alyson turned to her friend. ''Hey, can you give me a boost?''

Lucy didn't know what to make of all this. She'd never imagined herself getting involved in a normal school fight, let alone something of this scale. But, maybe it was the thrill of the moment, or the power coursing through her blood, she wanted to participate.

Alyson hopped towards Lucy. Lucy cupped her hands together, allowing her friend to rest her foot on her like a ledge. With a mighty push from Lucy and a kick of her own, Alyson rocketed towards the dazed monster. The pink ranger clenched her fists together and hoped to land one or two solid punches.

She managed eleven!

The Mallory couldn't defend itself. Alyson unleashed a flurry of punches in quick succession as she flew by, knocking a few teeth out from each of their faces. Afterwards, she slid across the ground, digging her feet into the Earth to stop her slide.

The monster was left stumbling around for a moment. It didn't take long to regain its footing and charged towards Alyson, drawing swords out from its very skin and tried to slice her into pieces.

Alyson's eyes followed the swipe of every blade. The bulky armour did nothing to hinder her movement. No matter how desperate the Mallory swing its weapon, it couldn't land even the smallest cut on her. Instead, it left itself wide open for a counter attack. _**BAM!**_ To which Alyson greatly applied.

Reeling backwards, it couldn't defend itself as Lucy dived and slide along the ground, tripping it up. On the ground, it slashed at Lucy, who leapt high into the sky, away from the attack. The yellow ranger brought her leg back and kicked it in the head, sending it soaring along the ground.

It couldn't even land without enduring another onslaught. Richard ran alongside the monster and released dozens of coordinated punches and kicks, moving so fast he was a blue blur. _**BAM!**_ One final jab in the stomach caused it to crash in a heap.

It was becoming quite apparent that this wasn't a fight…it was annihilation.

Richard bounced as the others took a stance next to him. ''Is anyone else feeling like they just downloaded an encyclopaedia on karate?''

''Karate, Kung-Fu, Kickboxing, Judo…'' Christopher listed. ''It's all just coming naturally. Like we've always known it.''

Another roar, louder than any before it, came from the Mallory. It turned to the Power Rangers, drawing more swords and charging once again.

''How do we beat it?'' Lucy asked.

Alyson cracked her knuckles. ''We punch it in the face together, so hard that it explodes.''

''I don't think that's how alien biology works…'' Christopher started, as the Mallory was right on top of them.

''Split up and aim for the head!'' Zoe called out.

The five dived out of the way just as the Mallory landed where they stood. Before they could get far enough, it slashed its swords at them. All of them were stopped in their tracks, as the five grabbed the swords, their armour not even scratched by the blades.

Using their free hands, they drew them back and all punched directly at the five faces of the hybrid. A flowing aura flickered from their fists.

_**BAAAAAM!** _

Sparks exploded from the Mallory's head. A muffled roar was drummed out by the sound of the Rangers drawing their fists away and taking a step back, finding a safe distance as it lashed its arms around. Soon enough, it stopped moving and collapsed to the ground. Upon impact, the Mallory disappeared in a small, fiery explosion. Even the heat of the blast had no effect on the five underneath their suits.

The team waited for the flames to die down. Nothing remained of the monster. It was over.

Christopher rested his hand on the back of his neck. ''Huh, it _did_ explode. How does that work?''

Richard turned to him, placing his hands on his brother's shoulders. ''Who cares? Don't you realise…we won!''

''We won?'' Alyson questioned.

''We won!''

It really didn't hit them until Richard shouted it out. The monster was gone, and they stood victorious. After a moment of letting it sink in, they cheered and cried out triumphantly. Alyson and Lucy hugged each other, even with a pair of armoured suits between them, and the brothers began a little victory dance. All Zoe could do was let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

Far away from the incredible events transpiring on Earth, Vritra looked into a floating pool of his own mercury-coloured blood. The ripples of the pool flowed, shaping the scene so that he could watch how his Mallory fared against his archenemy. To see five new warriors emerge from nothing and defeat his monster so easily, it was the last thing he expected.

''This is an interesting turn of events,'' He droned.

Merodark observed as well. His blood boiled seeing what had just happened. He fixed his glare down upon the Earth as he reached for the handle of his sword. ''Shall I go down and take care of them myself?''

Vritra raised his hand, halting his servant. ''I won't send you down there until I am aware of what we're dealing with. If you encounter them unprepared, you will suffer the same fate as the Mallory.''

''I can defeat them! I know I can!'' Merodark barked defiantly.

With a single glare from his master, the swords master was rendered powerless, as he felt an unseen weight begin to crush him. ''Are you questioning my authority?'' He growled.

''No, no, forgive me, Master…I…'' Merodark gasped.

Refusing to listen, Vritra floated away, holding out his hand so that his blood would flow back into his body through the scar. He did allow Merodark mercy, as the sword master could finally breathe. ''If there was no shield protecting this small planet, I would destroy it in one, swift stroke. However, for the time being, we will settle for a tactical delay. I want to know what we're dealing with and how best to crush them. These mysterious warriors.''

Merodark bowed and followed Vritra, who was rocketing towards the Moon. ''Yes, Master.''

Vritra folded his arms over his chest and went deep into thought as he flew to what would be his base for the time being. ''It is curious. Something about their aura feels…familiar. Aurik, what have you unleashed?''

* * *

Manahan couldn't understand a single word as the five teens spluttered incoherently at the same time. As soon as they returned from their battle and stepped off the lift, they detached their helmets and filled the room with a thousand questions and declarations of exhilaration at what had just happened.

''One at a time, one at a time!'' He ordered.

The group fell silent…only to then burst into another mess and jumble of words, trying to ask the first question. Manahan rubbed the bridge of his nose. If he had the hope that his head would hurt less after the fight, he was gravely mistaken as their voices started to give him a massive headache.

To end things, he slammed the bottom of his staff on the floor, creating a loud bang that silenced the team and probably gives them all a mini-heart attack. Enjoying the brief second of peace and quiet, the teacher cleared his throat. ''Fine, I will talk. I'm sure that you all have many questions for me…''

All five opened their mouths to speak.

Expecting this, Manahan raised his hand to stop them. ''There will be plenty of time for that,'' Surprisingly to the group, the next thing he did was smile warmly at them. ''For now, I must offer my thanks. You have done a tremendous service today. I congratulate you all. You harnessed the power better than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams.''

''Just glad we could help,'' Zoe shrugged her shoulders.

''Even if we were winging it.'' Richard joked.

In no time, Manahan's smile turned upside down. ''That still doesn't take away from the fact that I put you all at great risk. There was no guarantee that this would work…''

''But it did!'' Christopher pointed out.

''For now, yes,'' He held out his arm, extending his hand to them. The team looked on in confusion. ''If you wish, you may return the Morphers to me.''

''What?'' They gasped simultaneously.

''The battle is won. You no longer have any need…''

Zoe took a giant step forward and scowled at the teacher. ''You are not doing this! We have seen all of this and become a part of it. There is no way we are walking away from something this big.''

''Yeah!'' Richard leapt. ''The way we fought and kicked that monster's butt. We were like real-life superheroes.''

''It was a lot of fun!'' Alyson beamed.

Manahan shook his head. ''This isn't about having fun. You will become involved in the aftereffects of a war.''

''That's the other thing,'' Zoe yelled. ''Vritra is still out there. You're going to need all the help you can get to fight him. We now know how to use this power. We might as well stick around.''

''It makes sense,'' Christopher stated.

Lucy nodded. ''You can't win by yourself.''

Manahan looked as if he was going to burst, however, Zoe stood her ground, staring back with the same level of intensity. With the others backing her, Manahan could see that they were unwilling to part with the Morphers. His outstretched hand clenched tightly. He couldn't stop the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach building. With a shake of his head and a heavy sigh, he wiped his sweaty brow and turned to them. ''Very well, you may keep them.''

The team cheered and pumped their fists.

''However,'' Manahan called out suddenly, alarming them. ''There are a few rules you must abide by. You cannot tell anyone about anything of this. The powers, this base and my true identity. No one else must be put in danger. You can never use the powers for personal gain. Morph only when the threat of Vritra arrives. Finally, whilst your strength and speed have increased, your skill is unrefined, unbalanced and all over the place.''

''We're teenagers, we're used to things being all over the place,'' Richard remarked.

Their teacher elected to ignore his banter and continued. ''I will train you to better use your powers. There are still many things you need to learn. Weapons and forms of combat you need to master if you have any hope of defeating Vritra once and for all. Are you in?''

The team exchanged a quick glance. If the answer wasn't somehow already obvious, the assured smiles that they gave were a clear indication.

Richard raised his hand. ''Quick question!''

''What?'' Manahan groaned, already dreading what he was about to hear.

''Can Chris and I swap colours? I want to be the Green Ranger!''

''No, you cannot swap colours. The Morphers have already selected and bonded with you. It would be the equivalent of asking to switch DNA.''

Richard gazed at his Morpher. ''Can't we just unstrap it and swap?''

Before Manahan could respond, Alyson raised her hand. ''I was wondering if Lucy and I could also swap? Cause she likes pink more than me.''

Lucy felt her cheeks flush at the unwanted attention. ''I don't mind. It doesn't bother me.''

''You cannot swap the Morphers around!'' Manahan barked.

''Then can I at least have another colour?'' Richard inquired. ''Do you have like a gold Morpher lying around? I'd love to be a Gold Power Ranger.''

''Isn't that just basically yellow?'' Alyson questioned.

''No, it's not…''

As the teens argued, Manahan cupped his chin with his hand. ''Maybe I should have let the Mallory take me.''

**To Be Continued...**

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.


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